


A Strange Second Start

by Runeb19



Category: Bleach
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Explicit Language, M/M, Romance, Slice of Life, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-25
Updated: 2018-09-06
Packaged: 2019-02-06 18:59:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 15,218
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12823959
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Runeb19/pseuds/Runeb19
Summary: It wasn’t the first time he’d gotten that angry with his father, when his stubbornness and pride had led him to do something deeply stupid. It would, however, be the first time someone would seem to just materialize from darkness to save the day. And oddly enough, it wouldn’t the last.





	1. Prologue: One Fateful Rainy Night

**August 2nd, 2014**

 

The pounding of the rain did nothing to dampen the yelling in the car. 

 

“What’s it to do with you!? It’s my life, not yours!”

 

“Its wrong! You know it’s wrong! And If I ever see you-”

 

“No! I don’t know that! And I can’t believe you think that! I'm just living my life and you have no right to force me to do otherwise!”

 

_ I had been pushing him, and I’d known it. What my goal had been wasn’t even clear, only that I’d needed to push my father to a decision.  _ **_Needed_ ** _ to know what would happen, what he would say or do when pushed to the extreme. But I never imagined what he would do. _

 

The car screeched to a stop, rocking and jumping as the man pulled hard to the shoulder of the road.

 

“Then GET  _ OUT!!! _ ”

 

It was a ludicrous thing to say, to demand. They were on the middle of a highway, in stormy weather, miles and miles from any city. Nobody else in the car supported it. 

 

_ But I just couldn’t stay.  _

 

He threw off his seatbelt and pulled the car door open, deaf to the voices of his mother and sister. The side of the road was muddy and treacherous, the rain only seeming to pick up, as if in response to the scene. The door slid shut automatically, and he refused to look behind him, to acknowledge the sound of the car screeching away, pulling a hard u-turn and zooming off into the night. He tried not to think about the mud splattered all over once nice clothes, or the sheer cold already biting into him from the rain.

 

He might not make it to the next city.

 

But he couldn't go back.

 

It was then that he realized he still had light to see by, and that he wasn’t alone. He turned to see a car pulled over on the side of the road in front of him, the light spilling over from bright headlights. He must have been driving somewhere behind them, and had pulled over after seeing what had happened.

 

The drivers side door opened and a man about his age stepped out. He couldn’t make out much else, save that he was clearly not dressed for the weather, his light jacket drenched in seconds.

 

“Are you alright?” He called over. “What just happened?”


	2. Chapter 1: An Unexpected Visit

**June 22nd, 2016**

**Present Day**

“Are you  _ sure _ this is his room?”

 

“Calm down Yuzu. It’s the number we were given. Why would they send us to the wrong place?”

 

“I’m just going to be so embarrassed if we bother the wrong person. Nobody is even awake here yet!”

 

“But it’s ok to bother Ichigo?”

 

“That’s-I mean-Stop it!” Yuzu was crimson by now, Karin barely containing her laughter.

 

“Look, I’ll knock, and if someone else answers, I’ll do the apologizing. Ok?”

 

“Oh, no you won’t! You’re terrible at apologizing!”

 

“I’m knocking now.” Ignoring any further complaints from her sister, Karin confidently and loudly rapped her knuckles against the polished wooden door. 

 

_ 221 _

 

How Ichigo was able to afford to live in such a nice apartment was a mystery to them. Admittedly they were all single rooms, but the apartments were very high-end, brushing up against one of the town's richest neighborhoods. 

 

After a lack of response, she knocked again, and then hit the doorbell. 

 

“Lazy jerk…”

 

After a moment, they could hear somebody stumbling through the apartment bumping against and kicking furniture in turns, clearly too sleepy to properly navigate. There was the noise of a chain being unhooked, and then the door pulled back to reveal a man who was most definitely  _ not Ichigo _ .

 

He had lazily spiked blue hair, as though he had been running his fingers through it as he made his way to the door. He was a fair few inches taller than Ichigo as well, and the rather distracting fact that he was wearing nothing but a pair of shorts made it obvious he worked out as well.

 

“I...uh...um…”

 

“Hello?” 

 

Karin was, for once, at a loss for words, utterly distracted by the sleepy and somewhat annoyed man in front of her. 

 

“We're so sorry!” Yuzu said, jumping in as she wrapped her arms around one of Karin’s. “We had the wrong room number, I am  _ so sorry _ we woke you. Come on, Karin!” She dragged her sister away from the man, who was frowning at them slightly.

 

“I  _ told  _ you we should have double-checked Ichigo's room number!” She said as she dragged Karin down the hallway. 

 

“Uh...Hey!” They stopped and turned to look back at the man, who was leaning on his doorframe and fighting a yawn. “You're looking for Ichigo?”

 

Yuzu released Karin as they exchanged a confused glance.

 

“ _ You _ know  _ Ichigo _ ?” Karin asked, disbelieving.

 

“Yes, we are.” Yuzu said, overriding Karin. “Do you know what room he's in?” 

 

The man arched an eyebrow at them as he jerked a thumb behind him into his apartment. “He's still asleep, but I can go get him.” 

 

“Wait, what? I thought these were single-bedroom apartments,” Karin asked, confused.

 

“Yeah, but there's plenty of space,” the man said, apparently not understanding Karin’s question. “What do you need him for, anyway? I don't wanna wake him up if this some kind of sales call. He's a grouch when he's woken up.”

 

“Uh...well, we came into town to visit,” Yuzu said. “He's our big brother.”

 

_ That _ seemed to wake him up. His face lost a little color and his mouth fell open slightly, looking at them with something like fear.

 

“Are you alright?” Yuzu asked, taking a step forward in alarm.

 

“I-um-fine, I'm fine. I just, uh, didn't know you were visiting.” He seemed to only now be aware that all he was wearing were shorts.

 

“Neither does Ichigo,” Karin said, her tone and gaze now both suspicious. “That a problem?”

 

“I-no, of course not. Come in, I'll go get him up. Give him...well, more warning than I got.”

 

“Hopefully he'll be wearing more clothes when we see him too.” Karin said sourly. She caught sight of the man going red, but he said nothing. 

 

“Karin? What do you mean?”

 

* * *

  
  


**August 2nd, 2014**

 

The man beckoned him over to his car, and Grimmjow wasn't willing to stay in the rain, accepting shelter as he hurried into the passenger side of the small car. He closed the door a little harder than necessary, but heard a similar slam from the driver's side.

 

“Geez, it's really pouring out there.” The man said, shaking some water off himself. He turned to Grimmjow. “Are you alright? Did those people really throw out of their car? I couldn't see very clearly.”

 

“Not physically throw me out, no. Otherwise...yeah.”

 

“Bastards.” The man muttered, which made Grimmjow feel a little better. He took the opportunity to study his unexpected savior. They were definitely in the same age group-early 20’s-though pinning an exact age was impossible. He was a little shorter than Grimmjow, and slimmer, and had bright orange hair. He looked up, caught what Grimmjow was looking at, and raised an eyebrow at him. 

 

“Go ahead. Make fun of my hair. I dare you.”

 

Grimmjow chuckled and shook his head, running a hand through his own blue locks. “I know better, thanks.”

 

“I should hope so,” the man muttered. “I'm Ichigo, by the way,” He offered Grimmjow a hand, which he shook.

 

“Grimmjow. Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez.Thanks for the save.”

 

Ichigo waved a hand as if it were nothing. “Don't worry about it. Can you imagine the kind of asshole a person would have to be to just speed right by after that?”

 

“The same kind of asshole who would throw someone out of their car onto a dark, rainy highway.”

 

Ichigo opened his mouth, closed it, and then shrugged. “Fair enough. You have a place to stay?”

 

“I have some friends in Seireitei. Was gonna crash with them while I figure things out.”

 

“Well, that's where I was heading. I can give you a ride.”

 

“Thanks, man. You're a lifesaver.”

 

“I'm pretty sure that's literally true. Walking there in all this would be suicide.”

 

Grimmjow laughed slightly, drawing inward as the car started back up fully. He was lying through his teeth to Ichigo, and he wasn't sure why. He didn't know a single person in Seireitei. Or any of the nearby towns, for that matter. They'd been driving to the airport nearby, but he couldn't pay for a ticket anywhere.

 

“So what happened?” Ichigo asked as he drove. “Unless you're not comfortable saying.”

 

Grimmjow shrugged. “It was my 21st last month. Got drunk. Made out with a guy. Dad got upset.”

 

“Why, he didn't want you drinking?” 

 

“...You're joking, right?”

 

“Of course I am,” Ichigo said sourly. “It's just hard to believe there's still people like that around.”

 

“I didn't really know he was like that either, to be honest with you. He's not super-religious or anything. Just an ass, I guess.”

 

They were alone on the road, no other cars or lights to be seen. Ichigo didn’t seem to know what to say, and Grimmjow didn’t want to say anything. Ichigo wasn't wrong-he might well have saved Grimmjow’s life-and he was grateful for that. But he didn’t want to be reliant on somebody he didn’t even know. This whole situation still hadn’t really sunk in, and he needed to be alone to figure out what he was going to do.

 

* * *

  
  


Ichigo pulled off to a side street when they entered town. 

 

“Where’s your friends place?”

 

“Uptown. But I’ll catch a bus.” He unlocked the car door and got out, ignoring Ichigo’s protests. 

 

“Hey! Wait!” Grimmjow sighed and turned back to face Ichigo, shoving his hands in his pockets. “I can drop you off closer.” There was a hint of exasperation in his voice. “At least as far as it’s on my way.”

 

“I’m grateful for the ride, really-but the rains stopped, and I can take care of myself.”

 

Ichigo frowned at him. “You’re ridiculously stubborn, aren’t you?”

 

Grimmjow tried to think of an answer, but just shrugged instead. “Yeah. Guess I am.”

 

Ichigo looked down at his car, then back at Grimmjow. “You’re sure?”

 

Grimmjow flashed him a reassuring grin. “I’m sure.” After a long moment, Ichigo got back into his car. Grimmjow turned and began walking the opposite way, listening as the engine started back up and the car slowly drove off. He glanced back when he reached the end of the street to see that Ichigo was gone. He could see the city sprawling out before him, street and house lights making it a confusing, glimmering sight. 

 

He took a deep breath.

 

“I’m doomed.”

 

* * *

  
  


**Present Day**

 

_ “What!? They're-” _ There was the distinctive thump of a body falling out of bed. Karin and Yuzu exchanged an amused smile.  _ “Just-ugh. I'll be out in a minute, you two! Go wait out-put a shirt on you idiot!” _

 

“I'm so glad we didn't tell him we were coming,” Karin murmured to Yuzu.

 

“Don't be mean,” Yuzu admonished her, before looking around. “This apartment is really nice.” 

 

Karin was forced to agree with her on that. It  _ was _ spacious, with separate kitchen, living room, and even a small dining area, not to mention its own bathroom. The living room sported an impressive plasma screen TV, though it had a sticker stating plainly that it was the property of the complex. The door to the bedroom opened and the blue-haired man emerged, a fair bit more presentable this time. He flashed them a smile and he walked over to the kitchen.

 

“Ichigo’ll be out in a moment.” He said, rummaging around in some of the cabinets. “You two staying for breakfast?”

 

“Uh…” Yuzu glanced at Karin, who shrugged. “Yeah, sure!” 

 

“Well it’ll be a few. Go ahead and sit down, don’t need to be standing like that.” He had his back turned to them, setting up a pancake skillet on the counter, and Karin led Yuzu over the table, pulling back a couple of the stools around the little island counter. The man glanced over his shoulder at them and raised an eyebrow, before turning back to what he was doing. 

 

“I’m Grimmjow, by the way.” 

 

“I’m Yuzu, and this is Karin.” 

 

“You’re wearing your hair differently,” Grimmjow said lightly, and both girls hands flew to their heads.

 

“Um...how do you…?” Yuzu started to ask, but Karin cut her off.

 

“That’s weird.” Grimmjow glanced over at her, and she crossed her arms. “That’s a weird thing to say.”

 

The man shrugged. “Sorry. Ichigo keeps a picture of you all, but you had longer hair in it. That’s why I didn’t recognize you.” 

 

“Still weird.”

 

“Do you want to eat or not?”

 

The bedroom door opened and a rather flustered Ichigo emerged, trying to flatten his hair back to normal. He glanced over at Grimmjow and asked, hopefully, “Coffee?”

 

“Water’s heating. Wasn’t expecting to be up this early.”

 

At that, Ichigo turned his attention to his sisters. “No. We weren’t.” 

 

They both gave him their best smiles. 

 

“We just wanted to surprise you, Ichigo.”

 

“Yeah, we weren’t expecting your boyfriend to answer the door.”

 

“Karin!”

 

“I’m just saying what we were both thinking.”

 

Ichigo and Grimmjow exchanged another look, before Ichigo sat down tiredly, across from his sisters. 

 

“Please let me be the one to tell Dad.”

 

“Why didn’t you tell us?” 

 

“It was hardly your business,” Catching the look on their faces, he sighed. “I don’t care if I sound rude, it’s true. You don’t need to be involved in my private life. Besides, it’s been a chaotic couple of years. I was enjoying the quiet.”

 

“Not sure that’s the word I’d use,” Grimmjow commented. The smell of coffee and bacon were mingling in the air now. “But yeah. We were enjoying the time to ourselves.”

 

“I hope you don’t think we’re surprised that you’re gay.” Karin said. “After everything with Orihime-or maybe I should say the  _ lack _ of things with Orihime-”

 

“Yes, thank you Karin.”

 

“You are a grouch when you’re woken up.”

 

Ichigo shot a glare at Grimmjow, who pretended not to notice. 

 

“I wasn’t worried about you guys. Just didn’t feel the need to share.” 

 

“We haven’t really been together that long either,” Grimmjow added, turning around and placing a mug of coffee in front of Ichigo, who gratefully accepted it. Grimmjow leaned down and kissed him on the cheek, causing Ichigo to turn a deep shade of red. “What?” He asked innocently. “We’re hardly in public.”

 

“It’s still PDA.” Karin said sourly.

 

“My apartment, my rules,” Grimmjow said nonchalantly, turning back to the skillet. 

 

“Ours,” Ichigo muttered darkly, taking a long drink from the mug. “Where’s Dad at?” He asked, very deliberately changing the subject. 

 

“Dad went to go check in at the hotel. He dropped us off on the way.”

 

Ichigo nodded, digesting that information while he drank his coffee. 

 

“Are we just eating here then?” Grimmjow asked. 

 

“I don’t feel like moving,” Ichigo muttered.

 

“Well, I could always-”

 

“Pick me up and I’ll pour this coffee on you.”

 

Grimmjow set a full plate in front of Ichigo, his grin not wavering in the slightest. “I’ll wait till your done drinking it then.” He passed plates and utensils over to the girls before pulling up a seat beside Ichigo. 

 

“This looks great!” Yuzu exclaimed. Karin was already eating, though she grunted appreciatively. 

 

Grimmjow just smiled, glancing at Ichigo in amusement. 

 

“Thank you.” He said quietly.

 

“First impressions are important,” Grimmjow replied, winking at him. 

 

“Is Dad coming here or are supposed to go to him?” Ichigo asked.

 

“Coming here,” Karin managed between mouthfuls, and Ichigo wondered how long it had been since they’d eaten. 

 

“I guess we’re just waiting,” Grimmjow said, and Ichigo nodded in agreement. 

 

“This is going to be fun.”


	3. Chapter 2: First and Second Impressions

**August 12th, 2014**

  


Homelessness had not been kind to Grimmjow. He barely had any money or personal information. His ID, his social security number, and about $20 on hand. He’d been so stupid.

 

He couldn’t get a job, or new clothes that might _help_ him to get a job. He didn’t know where the unemployment office was, or where the good shelters were, even now that he could admit he needed them now. Nobody helped him, and he ran out of money fast. Food was expensive. He’d never had to worry about it before.

 

The last 10 days had been terrible, and full of bad decisions.

 

And that was all _before_ he got stabbed.

 

He’d been leaving from an interview at a bar and the mugger-who seemed more than a little tipsy-wouldn’t believe he didn’t have anything for him. His clothes, muddy as they were, had been nice.

 

Part of him was disappointed that he hadn’t been able to deal with the mugger. Once upon a time, a man that drunk and off-balance would’ve been easy to disarm. But he’d been tired, and cold, and hungry. The mugger hadn’t even meant to do it, not really. Or hadn’t realized what would happen. But he’d panicked and ran at the sight of blood, and Grimmjow was just far enough away from the bar that no one saw, or heard. So he’d grit his teeth, and walked. Walked through a maze of alleyways as he tried to find a street because _someone_ would help him now, surely.

 

And then he’d collapsed at the mouth of the alleyway, and he didn’t have the strength to call out.

 

What a miserable way to die.

  


_“What the-oh my god! Are you okay?”_

 

_“Wait, isn’t that...Grimmjow?”_

 

_“We have to get him to a hospital!”_

* * *

  


**August 14th, 2014**

 

The first thing Grimmjow registered when he woke up was that he was, in fact, awake. A few seconds-or maybe minutes-or maybe he fell back asleep first? He remembered voices. People had found him. Person? How many people had there been?

 

The second thing he registered was pain. It was all very dull-he must be on some kind of painkiller-but when he tried to move, his body protested, stiff and weak and screaming at him. Probably telling him that he was a stubborn idiot. His body was right.

 

“Doctor? He’s awake!” He sucked in a breath at that. So he was in a hospital. He had been saved.

 

A man walked in, though ‘doctor’ wouldn’t have been Grimmjow’s first guess. He was hardly dressed the part, with a flowing green robe and-clogs? Or just weird sandals?

 

“Ah, so glad you’ve returned to us, Mr.Kurosaki!”

 

“What?” Grimmjow groaned as he attempted to sit up. Giving up, he laid back down and eyed the man, confused. “My name-”

 

“-Is most definitely Kurosaki! See? It says so right here on the paperwork!” He indicated Grimmjow’s name, though he couldn’t make it out from where he was lying. “And wouldn’t you know, because that’s your name, the bill for all this went down from $50,000 to $5,000!” He eyed Grimmjow over his glasses. “So nice for a family to share medical insurance, wouldn’t you say?”

 

It was obvious what the man was getting at, and Grimmjow-after discovering that nodding was a bad idea-agreed. “...yeah. Good family.”

 

“Indeed! Now I shall go and inform your hitherto unannounced relation that you are awake and well!”

 

“You get called ‘quack’ a lot, don’t you?”

 

“I do indeed!"

 

The ‘doctor’ closed the door and left Grimmjow to his thoughts. So somebody had found him, brought him to the hospital, and was apparently intending to foot the bill, considering that he’d been put onto their medical plan. It was cheaper this way, and maybe they’d just ask him to pay them back, but it was still a surprisingly generous action.

 

The door reopened and the Quack-Grimmjow couldn’t bring himself to think of him as a doctor-led a young man with a very familiar shock of orange hair into the room. Grimmjow’s mouth opened slightly in surprise as Ichigo sat down next to him.

 

“Well, I’ll let you two catch-up,” The Quack, who had still not introduced himself, exited the room with a flourish.

 

Ichigo looked at him in concern for a moment, before leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms.

 

“Well, aren’t _you_ a liar?” Grimmjow blushed, not really having a response. “Unless your ‘friend’ did this to you?”

 

“Ah...no. I know roughly one person in Seireitei.”

 

“Let me guess-is it me?”

 

“...yes.”

 

Ichigo sighed. “You could’ve crashed at my place, Grimmjow. I would’ve let you.”

 

“I know! I just didn’t...want to...bother...you…” Ichigo arched an eyebrow at him. “Hey, you’re the one who decided to pay!”

 

“As opposed to you ending up in massive debt? You can pay me back.”

 

Grimmjow’s blush returned, deeper this time. “You know, 10 days is a very short time to expect someone to get a job.”

 

Ichigo stared at him for a long moment, before shrugging slightly. “Eventually. You’re going to be staying with me until you recover, anyway.”

 

“Am I?” He’d tried to sound threatening, but it came out as more of a grunt, or cough.

 

“Yes. I promise I can be every bit as stubborn as you, and _I’m_ not recovering from a stab wound and blood loss.”

 

“How bad was it, anyway?”

 

“You’ve been here for two days.”

 

“...well. Shit. Pretty bad, then?”

 

Ichigo nodded. “It was mostly blood loss, at least that’s what the doctor-”

 

“You mean the Quack?”

 

“Uh, sure? Anyway, he said it was mostly because you were walking around after you got stabbed. Kept working the wound, so it didn’t close or clot. On the bright side, apparently it means you’ve got phenomenal pain tolerance.”

 

“Fantastic,” Grimmjow muttered. Being alive was the most important thing right now, and it seemed like he had very little say in what would happen in the near future. He should just sleep.

 

“Now that you’re awake, you’ll probably be released tomorrow. Released into my _care_ , mind. I’ll be back after work. Get some sleep.”

 

Grimmjow lazily waved him away, already drifting off. Ichigo didn’t need to tell him twice.

  
  


* * *

  


**June 22nd, 2016**

**Present Day**

 

“So, how did you two meet?” Yuzu asked, putting her knife and fork down.

 

“Dad didn’t feed you guys at all on the way here, did he?”

 

“No, and don’t change the subject,” Karin said. Ichigo and Grimmjow exchanged a look, before Ichigo had an almost evil smile.

 

“You know, I think I’ll do the dishes. I’m curious as to how _you_ would explain this.” Grimmjow scowled at him as Ichigo collected everyone’s plates.

 

“This sounds good,” Karin said, handing Ichigo her plate and leaning in to listen, Karin mirroring her, interest trumping politeness.

 

Grimmjow crossed his arms, thinking. “Uhm...well…” He seemed completely stumped.

 

“Oh come on, it’s not _that_ hard of a question,” Karin said.

 

“You know, she’s right,” Ichigo said over the noise of the sink. “Tell them, or I won’t be nice about it.”

 

“And just what is that supposed to mean?”

 

Ichigo shut off the water, grabbing a towel and wiping his hands as he walked back over to the table.

 

“You know how you two would occasionally find a stray cat or dog and bring it home?”

 

“Hey! Ok, ok I’ll tell them!” Grimmjow had reddened, and everyone laughed.

 

“Definitely stray cat,” Ichigo said, and the laughter started back up again, Grimmjow grudgingly joining in.

 

“You shouldn’t make fun of someone who has the power to embarrass you at will.” Grimmjow warned Ichigo, catching his hand and drawing him close.

 

“What about us?” Karin said in mock disgust.

 

Grimmjow released Ichigo and grinned at her. “I was talking to you, too.”

 

“But you were _saying?_ ” Yuzu said excitedly.

 

Ichigo walked back over to the sink without a word, and Grimmjow sighed. Some business was private, but he could tell them most of what happened.  

 

“I was wandering Seireitei…”

  


* * *

 

**August 15th, 2014**

  


Grimmjow didn’t get a wheelchair. He did get crutches, but they were uncomfortable, and expected back within a week.

 

“Don't look so happy, Grimmjow!” The Quack said, clapping him on the shoulder and nearly knocking him down. “All that smiling will be infectious!”

 

“Do you think stab wounds are?” He growled.

 

“I'm sure young Ichigo will let me know!”

 

And without a backwards glance, he vanished back into the hospital.

 

“Well, that's one good thing about leaving.” Grimmjow sighed.

 

“He's doing all of your checkups.”

 

“Dammit.”

 

* * *

 

Ichigo's apartment wasn't much to look at. He was away from the more crime-ridden areas, but the complex was still pretty run-down. It was also all single bedroom, so he'd be sleeping on the couch.

 

Or so he'd thought.

 

“I can sleep on the couch!”

 

“You're recovering,” Ichigo said flatly. “You're not sleeping on a couch.”

 

“I'm not kicking you out of your own bedroom!”

 

“No, you aren't,” Ichigo said with a note of finality. “I'm voluntarily giving you the use of it.”

 

He had no real means of protesting, and it was pissing him off. He had trouble walking,  but he wasn’t some invalid. He stood up-and his legs promptly disagreed with him, Ichigo having to catch him so he didn’t hit the ground.

 

“Hey, remember that part where you experienced horrible blood loss?”

 

“Shut up.” Grimmjow grit his teeth against a stab of pain as he was forced to lean on Ichigo.

 

Ichigo, surprisingly, didn’t say anything, practically carrying Grimmjow through the apartment. He’d assumed Ichigo was leading him to the bedroom, but the tub and shower head said otherwise.

 

“If you think I need help in here, I’m going to ki-”

 

“Have to remove the bandages and clean the wound,” Ichigo said tiredly. “And one of us grew up in a medical clinic.”

 

Grimmjow didn’t think he’d ever blushed so much in his life before he met Ichigo, as the man helped him into the tub.

 

“You don’t _know_ I didn’t.”

 

“If you had, I wouldn’t have to explain this all to you.” Grimmjow shrugged slightly, conceding the point.

 

“Shirt.”

 

“Oh, yeah.” He started to pull it off, when Ichigo grabbed his shoulder.

 

“Stop. Really, _think_ for a few seconds. Do you really think you can pull that off over your head?” He was right, as he’d been ever since they’d first met, and it was quickly pissing Grimmjow off. “Pull your left arm out first, and then I’ll help with the right side.”

 

He grumbled, but did as he was told. He liked to imagine he saw a flicker of interest in Ichigo’s eyes as the shirt came off, but his side hurt too much for him to be sure of anything. He’d probably imagined in. Ichigo stood up and opened a cupboard to grab a washcloth, and then Grimmjow could hear the sink running.

 

“I can’t believe you have a full bathroom here.”

 

“I know the landlord. He got me one of the nice ones.”

 

“Cool.” He was definitely still on some kind of drug, even if they weren’t doing their job properly.  

 

Ichigo snorted and kneeled next to the tub. He leaned down to start dabbing at a mess of stitches Grimmjow hadn’t actually seen before, when Ichigo paused, and looked up at him.

 

“You ah...aren’t one of those people that reflexively hit people...you know, when you get surprised or feel pain?”

 

Grimmjow blinked. “Are there...a lot of people like that?”

 

“It’s normally very funny to watch. But I’d rather not get decked.”

 

“I don’t...think...so?”

 

Ichigo sighed. “Nothing for it then. This will sting, but regular cleaning will help it heal better.”

 

“Faster?”

 

“Better. No way to speed it up, but we don’t want any kind of infection.”

 

Grimmjow winced as the cold cloth touched his skin, but he didn’t punch. He’d broken bones and had cuts before, but this was definitely worse. He didn’t punch Ichigo, though.

 

“What exactly happened? It didn’t seem like you had much to say to the police.” They’d taken his statement once he was lucid, but he hadn’t remembered anything useful.

 

“Just some drunk dumbass. I don’t even think he meant to stab me. I cut through an alleyway when I was leaving from an interview.”

 

“Interview?”

 

“At a bar down there.”

 

“The Sexta?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

Ichigo shook his head. “I know it means six, but all the patrons seem to only focus on the first three letters.” Grimmjow snorted. “I went there _once_ , and have always regretted it. You can get up, by the way.”

 

Grimmjow blinked, and just barely caught sight of the red-stained cloth as Ichigo tossed it.

 

“I’m going to owe you some washcloths too, huh?” Ichigo just smiled slightly, slipping his arms under one of Grimmjow's and helping to pull him up. “Neat doctor’s trick.”

 

“Always better to distract the patient in a situation like that.” He could walk a little bit better now, but Ichigo still helped him get his shirt back on and move across the hall. When he laid down on the bed, he had to admit, at least to himself, that if _this_ was the bed, he’d never get rest on the couch.

 

“You don’t have to sleep on the couch, you know.”

 

“You aren’t. We’ve already had this discussion.”

 

“No, I mean, we can share.”

 

Ichigo gave him a level stare. This kind of flirting came naturally to Grimmjow, and he always enjoyed the result, regardless of what it was.

 

“There’s hardly room.”

 

“So we ditch the blankets, share body heat!”

 

“Good _night_ , Grimmjow!” The door slammed shut. He didn’t really need the sheets anyway, it was still hot enough that he could just lay on top of them. What the hell had happened to him in the past two weeks?

 

And what was going to happen in the next two?


	4. Chapter 3: Going with the Flow

**August 21st, 2014**

  
  


He couldn't work. He couldn't cook, or clean, or exercise or go outside for any decent amount of time, he had to take pills and get shots and lay in someone else's bed all day. And to top it all off, Ichigo had bought him new clothes. The right size. 3 full outfits.

 

He wanted to strangle the man. 

 

Or kiss him.

 

He probably wouldn't decide until he got close enough. 

 

It came to a head at the end of his first week at Ichigo's. He'd gotten off earlier than normal in exchange for a full shift on Saturday, and had decided to order pizza.

 

“Just let me cook!”

 

“Grimmjow, you can't-”

 

“I am not an invalid!” He yelled, standing up. He felt a faint stab of pain, but grit his teeth and stood up straight. “Stop treating me like one!”

 

“If you can make dinner with what's in that kitchen, then get in there and start waving your wand!” Ichigo snapped at him. “Considering there's a gallon of milk, some butter, and a couple cups of instant noodles, I won't hold my breath. I have enough for pizza tonight, and I get paid tomorrow. Now sit down and shut up for a moment.” 

 

He sat down, feeling like an idiot. Ichigo sounded very tired, however he tried to mask it. Working full time was hard enough, without having to take care of Grimmjow on top of it. And it was going to start to hurt financially soon too, once the medical bills started to roll in, and getting food for two. He needed a job. 

 

“You should let me coming shopping with you.” The words were out of his mouth the moment Ichigo hung up. He hadn't really meant to say it. 

 

“Uh...why?” Ichigo was giving him a funny look, and he fought down a blush. 

 

“It's cheaper to cook at home than eat out all the time. And healthier than cup noodles.”

 

“Right...you cook?” 

 

“Um, yeah. A little bit.” Ichigo looked like he wanted more details, but rather than asking, just shrugged and threw himself down on the couch alongside Grimmjow.

 

“Wake me up when the pizzas here.” And to Grimmjow's surprise, Ichigo proceeded to actually fall asleep. 

 

He paid for the pizza without waking him. Ate a couple slices without waking him. And went to bed without waking him. Reheated pizza tasted just fine, and Ichigo needed to sleep. Let him yell about it tomorrow.

 

* * *

 

**August 22nd, 2014**

 

After the third ‘no,  _ this _ aisle’, Ichigo had given up following directions. Grimmjow wanted to come along so badly, he could lead. The limp in his walk was barely noticeable, and if it hurt, he gave no indication. Kisuke had to sign a release for Grimmjow to work again, but he didn't need anything to help out around the apartment. 

 

He hadn't told Grimmjow how well he actually knew the doctor-or ‘quack’, as Grimmjow was fond of referring to him (not that he blamed him). The eccentric doctor had moved here from Karakura only a few years before Ichigo had, and yet had owned shares of both the apartment complex  _ and _ hospital. Not controlling shares, but enough that he was pretty much free to do as he wanted. He had no idea how Kisuke did it. All he'd seen of the man was him running an-by all appearances- unsuccessful candy shop.

 

“So you... _ actually _ cook?” Grimmjow looked over at him. He seemed more hesitant than confused. 

 

“I guess?”

 

“I mean, I can make, like, pancakes or…” He reached for something else. “Spaghetti. Basic stuff.” He glanced at the cart. “Not what you're getting.” The cart had little in the way of anything he'd ever used. Vegetables, fruits, meats and seasonings. Things that would require actual cooking ability to do anything. 

 

Grimmjow shrugged and didn't say anything. 

 

Right when Grimmjow seemed finished, he came to an abrupt halt, forcing Ichigo to do the same. 

 

“You... _ do  _ have cooking stuff, right? Pots and pans and everything?”

 

“Uh, yeah, I should. A friend gave me a set when I moved.”

 

“Really?”

 

“Well, I mean, most of it’s still in the  _ box _ , but-what? At least I moved out of my parents house!” Grimmjow’s face turned a shade of red to match Ichigo’s.

 

“I wasn’t aware I was still living with them!”

 

“Not the same thing, and you know it!” Ichigo said with an air of finality, remembering they were in a public place. Grimmjow rolled his eyes and pushed the cart toward Ichigo, who took it and moved toward checkout. 

 

$85.00 wasn’t a bad total, provided Grimmjow could deliver on edible food. The cashier had seemed almost impressed that they were buying food to cook, but then again, she might’ve just been impressed by Grimmjow. 

 

Dinner that night was just a couple of lightly seasoned steaks, but it was good. He’d had enough of listening to Grimmjow scoff at every pan he had to pull out of a box, and had turned the TV up as loud as he could without setting off his neighbors. 

 

* * *

 

**August 24th, 2014**

 

“ _ Please _ let me work.” 

 

“Hmm…” Kisuke poked his side a few more times without saying anything. 

 

“I’m going to go insane!”

 

“Do you have a job waiting for you?”

 

“Well-no, of course not, but I can’t even go looking unless I get cleared.”

 

“Cleared by me...hmm…” 

 

Grimmjow bit back a groan. “Yes...by you.”

 

Kisuke seemed to be deep in thought now. “What would make me clear you…”

 

“You could just admit I’m able to work?”

 

“No, no...not that. Besides, you technically aren’t. Stomach still has a hole in it, even if it isn’t that large. Ah!” He clapped his hands together. “Would you stop calling me quack?”

 

“Probably...not.”

 

Kisuke nodded. “I appreciate your honesty. Why do you want out so badly? Aside from claustrophobia.” 

 

“I  _ don’t _ have claustrophobia, wanting to work  _ isn’t _ weird, and-well, Ichigo’s going to end up broke or he’s going to run himself into the ground if he has to keep paying everything by himself.” 

 

That was what he’d wanted to hear. And Grimmjow was absolutely right, too. It didn’t matter that they barely knew each other-indeed, Ichigo didn’t even know Grimmjow’s last name. A peek into his file had revealed the name Grimmjow gave was his mother’s maiden name. He’d honored Grimmjow’s request not to contact his family, but he doubted Grimmjow had thought to clear it up with Ichigo. 

 

“I’ll clear you on  _ one _ condition.” Grimmjow looked apprehensive, but motioned for Kisuke to continue. “Stay with Ichigo. For at least a year.”

 

Grimmjow blinked. “...What?”

 

“You may not be thinking about it right now, but you are absolutely the type to jump ship the moment you think you could afford your own apartment. Don’t. Stay with him and pay your bills.”

 

Grimmjow eyed him cautiously. “Until his lease is up?”

 

“No, no, that’s the end of this year. But I’m sure by that time the two of you could find a nicer apartment.”

 

“...why?”

 

“Because A), I feel you have a reasonably lower chance of getting stabbed again if you stay with someone, B), You’ll be able to pay off your bills faster if you’re only paying half the rent, and C), I think it would do both you and Ichigo good.”

 

Grimmjow crossed his arms and scowled at him. “Would do Ichigo good, you mean?”

 

“And why do you say that?”  

 

“I had to pull out nearly an entire dishware set just to cook a couple of steaks.”

 

“I don’t mean his cooking ability, though I appreciate that you seem to have some. He’ll work himself to death whether he has extra bills to pay or not. He doesn’t know what else to do.”

 

Grimmjow was curious now. “What do you mean?”

 

“He won’t tell you that, of course,” Kisuke said, deciding a flare for drama wouldn’t be harmful, given the situation. “But it’s true. Boy doesn’t know what he wants out of life. If he had any amount of free time-if he didn’t have to keep working just to afford living-I think he might turn out better. More than just a cog in the machine, you know?” Grimmjow did seem to understand, but Kisuke also suspected the man found him long-winded. “So, do we have a deal?”

 

The blue-haired man sighed. “He could kick me out, you know.”

 

“And if he does, then that’s what happens. But I will know if you drive him to kick you out on purpose.” 

 

“I-alright. Like I’ve got anywhere else to go.” Kisuke offered him his hand, and after a seconds hesitation, Grimmjow shook. 

 

“Glad to hear it.”

 

* * *

 

**August 26th, 2014**

 

“Believe it or not, getting a job is  _ not _ as simple as saying ‘please.’” 

 

“Shut  _ up _ !”

 

Ichigo leaned back on the couch and stretched, yawning. “No. I’m kind of enjoying this.” Grimmjow glared at him. “Have you  _ had _ a job before?”

 

“Of course I have!” 

 

“Did a family member hire you?” 

 

Grimmjow opened his mouth, closed it again, then said “Well...yeah…”   
  


“I’m not surprised.”

 

“I gathered that.” Grimmjow turned to face Ichigo, scowling. “Why is that a bad thing?”

 

“It’s not,” Ichigo said. “Just it’s obvious you’ve never actually applied for a job. They don’t get back within the hour, you know. And if you keep pacing, you’ll ruin the carpet.” 

 

Grimmjow sighed and flopped down next to him. “I suppose that means I can’t rely on how the interview went either?”

 

“He probably asked the same questions.”

 

“He fell asleep halfway through.”

 

“Oh.” They were quiet for a moment, before Ichigo stood up and walked over to the kitchen.

 

“Hungry?” 

 

“No,” Ichigo said thoughtfully, picking his phone up. “Just...had an idea.” 

 

Grimmjow watched him walk past, quickly realizing this plan involved him. “You uh, wanna tell me about it?”

 

The door opened. “Wasn’t planning on it!” Ichigo called back. The door closed. 

 

_ Oh boy. _ Grimmjow thought.  _ I better get some sleep. _

 

* * *

 

**August 27th, 2014**

 

Ichigo said nothing during the car ride, not where they were going or what they doing. Grimmjow didn’t ask, either. At some point during the events of this month he had just given up pushing back against whatever Ichigo wanted him to do. 

 

That being said, Grimmjow felt uneasy about being taken to the mall.

 

“You better not be taking me on a shopping spree,” He growled as they walked through the doors. 

 

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Ichigo said, waving an airy hand. “I won’t be spending a dime. They insisted.”

 

“Good-wait, what? Who insisted? Ichigo,  _ where are you going? _ ” 

 

“Be back after work!” The orange-haired man said breezily as he walked back through the doors.

 

“So, you’re Grimmjow.” He froze, and turned around slowly, to find a short, raven-haired woman examining him. “Even if the dye is wearing out, the blue hair  _ is _ a giveaway.”

 

“You know what shade that is, Nanao” A woman with long red-hair and ill-fitting shirt asked another black-haired woman, who nodded. 

 

“I think so.” 

 

“Good, because I bet it looks  _ good _ when it’s full.”

 

The short one pulled at his shirt. “It was nice of Ichigo to get you some clothes, but the man has  _ no _ fashion sense. You’ll never get a job looking so...ratty.”

 

“Excuse me?” Grimmjow was offended, before remembering his priorities. “Who are you, anyway?”

 

“I’m Rukia, that’s Nanao, and the one who doesn’t know how to wear clothes is Rangiku.”

 

“I  _ know _ how to, but I get discounts and tips this way. Don’t be jealous.”

 

“We all work here, and we’re all friends with Ichigo,” Rukia finished, pretending not to hear Rangiku.

 

“Right...nice to meet you, and all, but  _ what _ are you doing here?” Rangiku abruptly swooped down on him, throwing her arms around his neck and dragging his uncomfortably close to her cleavage. 

 

“It’s makeover day!” 

 

“ _ No. _ ”

 

“Too bad!” Rangiku said happily, and began dragging him along with her. 

 

“Let him go,” Rukia snapped, and Rangiku, pouting, did. “In all seriousness, we are trying to help. It’s easier to get a job if you look more presentable.”

 

Grimmjow rubbed at his neck. “Right...but-”

 

“Pay us back later if it means that much to you,” Rukia said, rolling her eyes. “But this is going to happen.”

 

Grimmjow realized that short of running full speed the opposite direction, he wasn’t getting away from this. Tempting as that option was, he needed a job. 

 

“Fine.”

 

“Great! So, Nanao is a hairstylist, I work at one of the clothing stores, and Rangiku is...good at talking to people. So between the three of us, we should be able to cover everything. We also know all the places in the mall that are hiring.”

 

Grimmjow looked at Rangiku. “I’m not sure her brand of...talking, to people, necessarily transfers well.”

 

“First of all, I am actually good at preparing people for interviews. I helped Nanao get her job. Second,” She placed a hand on his chest. “You might be a guy, but trust me hun, you’ve got  _ plenty _ to work with.” 

 

“Right…” 

 

“I know this is probably painful for you Grimmjow, but the sooner we get started, the sooner we’re done.” 

 

Grimmjow sighed, and nodded. “Alright.”

 

“Then let’s go!”

  
  
  
  
  
  


“ _ Stop touching my chest! _ ”


	5. Chapter 4: Job-Hunt

**August 27th, 2014**

 

Grimmjow collapsed on a bench near the doors, feeling positively harassed. His hair was freshly dyed, though the hairspray was coming out, and the spikes were drooping. He couldn’t help but feel it was an accurate image to go along with his current exhaustion. He’d been at the mall for nearly 7 hours, which he’d decided-about halfway through-was more than any rational person ever should, bar the people who worked there. 

 

He checked his watch. 

 

Ichigo should’ve gotten off a half-hour ago. He wasn’t sure where he worked, but doubted he was  _ that _ far away. He hadn’t gotten a chance to check the time in all the chaos. Nanao had disappeared not long after seeing to his hair, apparently having to take care of her boss, but Rangiku and Rukia had dragged him to every location in the mall, from the restaurants, to the day-care, even though he told them there was no way in  _ hell _ he was working at one of those. 

 

It had only taken so long because many of the mall managers were interested in him for seasonal work, which wasn’t necessarily encouraging. It was early for seasonal hiring, but the girls said many of the managers were looking to have more experienced workers around for the holidays, so they wouldn’t have to go through the chaos of staffing right before the holiday season. It was logical thinking, but also meant he would likely be one of the first ones to go come the new year. He’d had multiple interviews after being stuck into a suit by Rukia-who was far stronger than she looked-and thought they’d gone decently enough, though he felt the women dragging him around might’ve counted against him at some locations.

 

Lunch had been an hour of hell at Rangiku’s work, where they faked up a resume for him despite his protests. He hadn't had serious work before-some seasonal stuff, and he wasn’t willing to admit to working at his father's company. The last thing he wanted was his parents getting a reference call for him. 

 

Both Rukia and Rangiku had promised to support his application at their work, and he hadn’t decided whether that was a good thing or not. They meant well, and were nice, if pushy and overbearing. Working at a restaurant appealed to him more, but he knew, if given the choice, he would work with Rukia at the clothing store instead. He’d learned the hard way today that overexposure to Rangiku Matsumoto was best avoided.

 

He was waiting on the bench by the same entrance they’d come through, now alone. 

 

He checked his watch again. 

 

Ichigo was getting increasingly late, and he had nothing to entertain himself with. Now that he thought about it, he didn't have anything aside from what he was wearing, and the old clothes in the bag at his feet.

 

_ And these clothes are Ichigo's, too. _ He nudged the bag with his foot. Sure, the clothes were  _ for _ him, but he hadn't bought them. He still didn't understand why Ichigo had seemed to drop everything to take care of him. He wasn't so stubborn as to not be grateful, but there was a line between giving a stranger a ride and inviting them into your home. 

 

He heard the sound of the last shutter being pulled down, and looked up to see a mall security officer approaching him. Before the man had a chance to say anything, Grimmjow stood up.

 

“No problem. I'll get going.”

 

“We can wait a few minutes if-”

 

“It's fine. Not that cold out yet.” He grabbed his bag and walked toward the door, security following him with keys. 

 

“You waiting for a ride?” The man asked at the door, and Grimmjow nodded.

 

“He's late, but he'll show up.”

 

“Got a way to contact him?”

 

“Nah. But I'll be fine, really.” He caught sight of the security officer staring at his bag, and raised it up to eye level. “It's clothes.”

 

The man reddened. “I-I didn't-”

 

Grimmjow walked out the doors without a backwards glance. He supposed he might've been suspicious in the other man's shoes, but couldn't help but feel the suit should've given him some credit. 

 

He spent another 10 minutes waiting at the base of the parking garage before Ichigo pulled in. The man didn't even notice him, driving right past and into a parking spot. Grimmjow got up and followed him, reaching the car as Ichigo got out. 

 

“Did you get hit by a car on the way here?” He asked, grinning. Ichigo looked like he'd a worse day than Grimmjow in every way. 

 

“No, no. I'm sorry-”

 

“Relax, I'm fine.” Ichigo didn't relax, but got back into the car, Grimmjow walking around to the passenger's side and getting in.

 

“The closer called in sick, because of course he did, and Lord knows no one  _ else _ could possibly stay. Who cares if I have somewhere to be?”

 

“Well, that's what happens when you're a giant pushover.”

 

Ichigo started the car. “I am not!”

 

“Oh, yes you are. You'll do anything if someone asks. Or if they don't. Or if they don't even want help.”

 

“Right,” Ichigo said dryly, clearly not missing the point. “Next time someone's freezing to death or dying of a stab wound, I'll just tell them I'm taking some ‘me-time’.” They backed out of the parking garage and left. 

 

Ichigo's car wasn't nice. Grimmjow couldn't help but notice, even if it made him feel petty and more than a little spoiled. Ichigo didn't seem to have anything that was particularly nice. The apartment was kept well enough, but showed it's age. The car was small, beat-up -though Ichigo had said it had been pre-owned, and he'd never gotten in an accident-and the paint was wearing off. Most of his clothes were old, and his work clothes were either in the wash or being worn. 

 

It drove Grimmjow crazy, though he tried to hide it. He didn't know Ichigo as well as he should, but he knew that if he said anything the other man would take it the wrong way. It didn't bother Grimmjow that the apartment was old or the car was old or that Ichigo, by all accounts, was rather poor. What drove him crazy was all that  _ and _ the fact that Ichigo was still paying his medical bills!

 

Grimmjow slumped in his seat, failing to hold in a sigh.

 

“I can't imagine getting harassed by Rukia and Rangiku all day is that much different than getting harassed by customers,” Ichigo said. “Have fun today?”

 

“You're evil, and should've warned me,” Grimmjow grunted. “But...thanks.”

 

He caught sight of Ichigo's smile, and looked out the window of the car. The streets were dark, but he could make out the apartment complex from here. 

 

He didn't think he'd ever call it ‘home’ but…

 

It was something.

 

* * *

 

**September 4th, 2014**

 

“You really can't get anyone else? I've just worked 6 days in a row! ...yes, I know it's early, but just because I'm the only you managed to wake up by calling them doesn't mean-So try again! I'm tired, dammit! … I don't  _ drink _ coffee, for the hundredth fucking time-Yeah, I'm mad!”

 

The conversation went on for some time as Grimmjow stared at the ceiling, idly wondering if Ichigo was aware he'd woken him up. He was also wondering if the exchange had or would wake up anyone else in the complex. 

 

“Oh my God, fine. But if you try to go home first, I'll send you there in a bag.” 

 

_ Beep _

 

“Hard to make hanging up satisfying with a cell phone, isn't it?” Grimmjow asked through a yawn.

 

“Ah, shit, I'm sorry.”

 

Grimmjow shifted so he could look at Ichigo.

 

“You're a foul mouth in the morning,”

 

“Oh, shut up.” Ichigo put his phone down and went to fill a glass of water.

 

“Just generally rude, then.”

 

“It's not even 6 am. I have a right to be...grouchy.”

 

Grimmjow grinned slightly, and Ichigo looked away, cheeks going red.

 

“Do you really not drink coffee?”

 

“Eh? No, why? I mean, you don't.”

 

“That's because you happened to catch me near the end of one of my mother's moods. She'd randomly ban caffeine from the house for a while, and yell at us if she caught us with any. Always went back though. I figured you just got coffee at work.”

 

“Not everyone in the world drinks coffee.”

 

“Everyone  _ should _ .”

 

“I'm going to go get ready for work now.”

 

“Want any help?”

 

“Want to keep both of your eyes?”

 

* * *

 

Grimmjow shivered slightly as the mall came into view. It was going to start getting a lot colder soon. He was going to have to figure out a bus route soon. And a bus pass. And...money.

 

He couldn't but feel that books and movies made building yourself up from nothing seem a lot simpler. Not easier, but less head work, and they got to skip over all the waiting.

 

He was beginning to haunt the mall now, forced to accept Rangiku’s offers of lunch if he wanted to eat. He was sure Ichigo would give him money if he asked, and was equally sure he would never ask that man for anything ever again, if he could help it. 

 

Today, though, he was going to swallow his pride. Today, he had a mission. 

 

He tracked Rukia down while she was helping a customer, and waited a respectful distance away. The man she was helping was apparently shopping for someone else, and he could tell they'd been at this for a while. When the man finally left, thanking her, Grimmjow walked over as she leaned against a nearby pole and sighed dramatically.

 

“He might be a good boyfriend, but he is  _ terrible _ with numbers,” She said. “I had to guess the size of the clothes from a picture of his girlfriend.”

 

“Not Christmas shopping already?”

 

“I don't think so. Though I will say, if he is, I don't think that girl will  _ ever  _ have to worry about him forgetting an anniversary.”

 

“Or maybe she does,” Grimmjow countered. “Maybe his memory is  _ so _ bad that he buys presents this early because he's certain he  _ will _ forget.” Rukia laughed. Her job normally had her wandering the story, fixing displays and helping customers, so she had time to talk to Grimmjow. They'd struck up a quick friendship over the week, generally enjoying each other's company.

 

“So, what dragged you out here? I hope you're not checking on your application. Checking in every few days might be dedication, but four days in a row is annoying.”

 

“Nah, and now I'd rather you not mention I was here. I was going to ask you a favor.”

 

“Oh?”

 

“I was hoping to borrow some money.”

 

Rukia’s eyebrows shot up. “ _ You  _ are asking for  _ money _ ? What on earth is so important?”

 

* * *

 

Ichigo all but fell when he got in the door, and Grimmjow actually stood up from the couch, looking concerned. 

 

“I'm fine, I'm fine. Just tired.”

 

“You were gone for-”

 

“For an entire opening shift, yes. On the bright side, Ikkaku has to cover for me tomorrow or lose his job. And he's not  _ that _ dumb.”

 

“Oh.” Ichigo looked up at the disappointed tone in Grimmjow's voice.

 

“What?” He asked suspiciously. 

 

“Nothing, nothing.”

 

“That's not convincing. You're lucky I'm too tired for this.” He slipped off his shoes and walked over to the kitchen, his throat a little dry. It wasn't until mid-drink that he noticed the new addition to the room. 

 

“Grimmjow...”

 

“Yes?” The man asked innocently. 

 

“What is this?”

 

The blue-haired man gave him his biggest grin.

 

“A coffee pot.”


	6. Chapter 5: Working Woes

**September 16th, 2014**

  
  


“Geez Grim, you look terrible.”

 

“Hi. That's not my name.”

 

“Hi. I don't care.”

 

Grimmjow reflected, with a trace of regret, that had he not resisted the nickname so strongly when Rukia first used it, she probably wouldn't insist on calling him by it at every available opportunity.

 

“Did something happen last night?” She asked as they got to work.

 

“Uh, no, why?”

 

“Well like I said, you look terrible. Did something keep you up? You two get in a fight?”

 

“ _ No _ , I'm just tired.”

 

Rukia crossed her arms, frowning.

 

“You know, Grim, I knew you hadn't had a real job before, but I wasn't expecting you to be  _ such _ a bitch about this.”

 

“Hey!”

 

“Go ahead. Tell me I'm wrong.” 

 

Grimmjow grumbled but just turned away, straightening out a display. The store wasn't open yet, and while they weren't the only ones opening, the others were in the back or the other end of the store. He had asked to take opening shifts, since that often coincided with Ichigo's schedule. The man didn't have a very consistent day-to-day or week-to-week schedule, but usually opened, and the mall was on his way.

 

“Ichigo must give you so much hell over this.”

 

“I actually regret getting that coffee maker sometimes. I'd have an excuse otherwise.”

 

“But alas, you did buy it. With my money. So I'm going to keep calling you a wimp.”

 

“I've lifted weights bigger than you.”

 

“And I've opened for 5 days in a row. You're on your third.”

 

It was a doomed argument from the start, and he'd known it. He just enjoyed fencing with her.

 

There wasn't much to argue; he'd never had a real job before, and it showed. The work he was doing wasn't intense, but the hours were long, and it would take time for his sleep schedule to adjust. 

 

It certainly helped give him some perspective. It was easy to see how Ichigo was working himself into the ground. If the work itself wasn’t too hard, the people added onto it certainly made it worse.

 

He wondered, idly, if he’d ever been someone's nightmare customer. He didn't  _ think _ so, but Grimmjow had grown up rather rich, and even his limited experience here told him that the more money someone had to spend, the worse they seemed to be about it. 

 

“Grim?” Rukia said. He started slightly, turning to face her. “I said we can take a break, until the store opens.”

 

“Oh. Sorry. Spaced out.”

 

She waved a lazy hand at him.

 

“Don't worry about it.” She leaned against a display. “You know, most people don't dive headfirst into this.”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“Opening shifts right away, taking so  _ many _ shifts right away…” she shrugged. “I know you want money, but you need to give yourself time to adjust.”

 

Grimmjow didn’t answer her. He knew she was  _ right _ , but he couldn't stand their living situation, and he’d rather be put earning money than sleeping on the couch.

 

“Have you thought about how you're gonna pay him?” Rukia asked.

 

“How?” He echoed.

 

“This is a minimum wage job.” There was a gentle note in her voice. “Between rent and utilities and groceries-you aren't gonna have much money to give for the medical bills. And you need to keep some money in your account so you don't overdraw, and it's always a good idea to keep money in savings and-”

 

“I get it! You can stop now.”

 

Rukia’s smile was somewhere between teasing and pitying. “Grim, you've never lived like this before. We get that. It's not easy. But-are you worried Ichigo’s gonna think you aren't serious about paying him back, or something?”

 

The question was a good one, and Grimmjow wasn't entirely sure of the answer.

 

“I just...can never tell what's going on in his head.” Grimmjow stuffed his hands into the pockets of his new work pants. “He’s been so  _ nice _ and...I guess I'm just bitter. Hard to see why anyone would act like that, without some ulterior motive.” 

 

Rukia looked thoughtful for a moment, contemplating what Grimmjow had said.

 

“Would you say you two are friends?” She asked. Grimmjow frowned at the question.

 

“Well...yeah.”

 

She smiled. “Then I guess he got  _ something _ out of the deal then, didn't he?”

 

* * *

 

**September 18th, 2014**

 

Grimmjow stretched out as much as he could on the couch, which wasn't much. There was barely room for the two of them to sit side-by-side comfortably, which he couldn't help but think meant that the couch wasn't very good at it's job.

 

He flipped through the few channels offered in the complex’s very limited cable package, desperate to find something to keep himself entertained and awake. 

 

Ichigo was late.    
  


That in itself was not strange. There was no set time to expect Ichigo back on the rare occasions he closed-it was dependent on how busy the store had been, and how much work was left to do. But it was getting late, and Ichigo hadn’t called. 

 

He was sure it was nothing, that Ichigo just hadn’t thought about it or maybe his phone was dead. He’d undoubtedly burst through the door, exhausted and pissed, with an improbable and bizarre story about how someone had managed to spectacularly fuck something up that he, of course, had wound up responsible for fixing, as well as another half-dozen stories about crazy customers. It was something of a daily ritual for them, regardless of when Ichigo got off, and had left Grimmjow feeling like a bit of a housewife, before he’d gotten hired, staying at home cooking and cleaning to pass time, listening to Ichigo talk about work…

 

It was oddly domestic, but in a way he didn’t really like, and it made him uncomfortable for other reasons besides.

 

_ Really, if either of us was gonna be the wife, it would obviously be Ichigo. _

 

He banished the unwelcome thought from his mind. Ichigo was a friend, a benefactor, and had saved Grimmjow’s life. It was easy, for someone in his position, to confuse the feelings that came from acts like for something else, and he didn’t want to.

 

Just because he was sure he was absolutely  _ right _ about the hypothetical situation didn’t mean it was  _ appropriate _ to think about.

 

He flicked through the available channels again, before turning off the TV in disgust. He wasn’t surprised they didn’t have  _ good _ TV, like he’d watched with his mother, but they didn’t even have  _ bad _ TV. What was he supposed to do, watch the news? Like hell.

 

Ichigo didn’t pay for cable, since he didn’t watch TV, and failed to see the point in paying for it. That would be fine, but the longer Grimmjow stayed with him, the more he suspected that Ichigo didn’t do  _ anything _ . The man did not seem to have any hobbies, and his defining character trait seemed to be being a workaholic. Grimmjow was used to having a bunch of technology around to distract him, which he could hardly fault Ichigo for not having, but even without that, he liked to cook, and work out. Ichigo’s interests were a mystery.

 

He glanced at the clock again and threw his head back onto the arm of the couch, groaning. It was almost an hour and a half after the store had closed. It could have just been an unexpectedly busy day, but the later it got, the less it seemed likely. He could’ve gotten a flat tire, or that old car could’ve given out on him completely. Maybe someone had been skulking outside the store, waiting for them to leave, and-

 

He threw a pillow over his face, trying to block out the negative thoughts. Ichigo was  _ fine _ .

 

Well, actually no, he was probably miserable and angry, but  _ physically _ he was-well, tired, but  _ otherwise _ fine. Grimmjow would let himself worry in another half hour. Until then, he needed to distract himself. But he didn’t know what to  _ do _ .

 

Well, he could always...but no. With the way his life had more and more begun to resemble a low-budget sitcom, the minute he stuck his hands down his pants would be the minute Ichigo chose to burst through the door. Both of them had been fine keeping their private business private without ever really discussing it, and he had no desire to bring  _ that _ conversation up.

 

Ichigo showed up nearly 10 minutes later. He didn’t actually slam the door open or closed, but his expression was thunderous. He walked past Grimmjow without a word, over to the table, where he threw his apron down. Then, after a moment, picked it up and threw it down again. Then he collapsed into a chair and threw his head down on the bundled cloth.

 

“That great of a day, huh?”

 

Ichigo groaned in response.

 

“Did a dinosaur attack the restaurant?” 

 

“I wish. If it had destroyed the damn place I’d get a couple weeks away.”

 

“...Did enough people with the combined weight of a dinosaur attack the restaurant?”

 

Ichigo sighed. 

 

“Right before closing. And the stupid manager sent our third home right before.”

 

“Are you not a manager?”

 

Ichigo snorted. “Hell no. I have enough shit to deal with. Angry customers aren't worth the pay raise.”

 

Grimmjow, not sitting up, studied Ichigo for several seconds. “Have you thought about looking for another job?” 

 

Ichigo raised his head to look at him properly. He looked tired.

 

“I've thought about it, sure, but I can't.”

 

“Why not?”

 

“Because I don't have a college degree. There's no where I could go that would pay more than minimum wage, and I wouldn't get the hours I am now. I can't afford it.”

 

“But you can.” Grimmjow said. Ichigo frowned, and he elaborated. “You don't have to quit your job right away just to go look for another one. And I'm getting paid now, so we’re splitting the rent, and you said that you’ve been saving money on groceries since I’m here.” He paused. “And, you know, you’re buying actual groceries, instead of a 100 cartons of cup noodles.”

 

“There’s nothing wrong with cup noodles,” Ichigo defended.

 

“There’s something wrong with buying a bulk order of a 100 of them.”

 

“I have never done that!” Ichigo declared, turning away from him. “...while living here.”

 

“I heard that.”

 

“That was the joke.”

 

Grimmjow snorted, and Ichigo turned back to him, grinning. “But seriously, I haven't. I’m not that bad.” 

 

Grimmjow dismissed it with a wave of his hand. “I’m being serious too. Tell them to cut your hours back at work, go look for another job, find one, and take it. You hate that place, and they treat you like shit.”

 

“They won’t like me asking to cut my hours back.”

 

Grimmjow grinned, knowing he’d won. “Tell them to eat shit and deal with it. But in a nice way, that doesn’t get you fired.”

 

Ichigo raised an eyebrow at him. “Right…” He shrugged a little, dropping his head back onto his bundled apron. “Still, it’s not like it's gonna happen right away. Unless you know the Job Wizard?”

 

“Job Fairies, actually.” Grimmjow corrected him. “You introduced us a few weeks ago.”

 

He could just make out Ichigo’s smile from where he sat. “Point.” He mumbled. “Now its time to sleep.”

 

“Not gonna change? Or...go to the bedroom?”

 

“Mm-mm.”

 

“Just gonna sit there and pass out?”

 

“Mm-hm.”

 

Grimmjow rolled his eyes and got up, walking over to the other man, bending down, wrapping an arm around Ichigo’s waist, and standing up.

 

Ichigo yelped as Grimmjow stood up, now firmly secure over the blue-haired man’s shoulder.

 

“What- _ NO _ , Grim you put me down  _ right now _ !!”

 

“Tables are for sitting, beds are for sleeping.” Grimmjow sang, ignoring the other man's struggles. He unceremoniously tossed Ichigo onto the bed, not hiding his smirk at the other man's outrage and embarrassment, enjoying the picture of Ichigo on the bed, disheveled and beet-red.

 

“ _ Never _ do that again!”

 

“Don’t ask me to make promises so I won’t have to lie~”

 

“ _ I will murder you! _ ”

 

Grimmjow laughed as he turned around and left, closing the door behind him, the image of Ichigo on the bed floating around in his mind.

 

Inappropriate thoughts.

 

But fun.


	7. Chapter 6: Calm Before the Storm

**October 1st, 2014**

 

“So,” Grimmjow said, as casually as he could, “How do you feel about Halloween?”

 

Ichigo glanced up from the kitchen table, where he had been pouring over a pile of papers. He seemed confused for a moment, then frowned.

 

“Oh,” He said. “You're one of _those_.”

 

“I'm not sure what you mean, but I know I'm offended.”

 

Ichigo turned to face him more fully, rubbing at his eyes. “The only thing I generally feel about Halloween is annoyance at all the adults acting like children.”

 

“Well that's the whole point of the holiday, Ichi,” Grimmjow said earnestly, fighting to keep any negative inflection out of his voice. “People get to pretend to be something else.”

 

“Yeah?” Ichigo sounded bored.

 

“Yeah! Like...a sexier version of themselves.” Ichigo glared at him. “Or a sexy version of something else.” The man's expression didn't waver in the slightest. “Dress as something sexy this year, Ichigo.”

 

“No.” Ichigo responded flatly.

 

“You're no fun!” Grimmjow whined. Ichigo just rolled his eyes.

 

“Grow up, Grimmjow. You're 21 years old.”

 

“Look out everyone, here comes Ichigo “Buzzkill” Kurosaki! I oughta dress you up as a big razor, like barbers use.” Ichigo scoffed and turned away. “A _sexy_ razor.”

 

“Goddammit Grimmjow!”

 

The blue-haired man laughed, and ducked the seat cushion Ichigo threw at him.

 

“Can I at least decorate?”

 

“I don't care what you do with your money, so long as you can pay your part of the bills,” Ichigo said.

 

“So you don't care how I decorate?”

 

“No,” Ichigo replied, waving a hand vaguely, refocusing on the papers in front of him.

 

“What are you looking at, anyway?” Grimmjow asked, getting up from the couch and walking over.

 

“An application.”

 

“That’s...a lot of paper for an application.” Grimmjow laid a hand on the table, leaning down by Ichigo to study the paperwork.

 

“It’s...for a daycare,” Ichigo said apprehensively. Grimmjow looked down at the other man in surprise. Ichigo was pointedly looking down, but Grimmjow didn’t miss the flush in his cheeks.

 

“Wouldn’t have pegged you as someone who liked taking care of kids.” He was careful to keep his tone neutral, and it seemed to work.

 

Ichigo shrugged, the blush disappearing from his face. “I looked after my sisters a lot when I was younger. I’ve always been good at it.”

 

“I’ve always tended to scare kids, myself.”

 

“Is it the blue hair, constant swearing, or the generally violent behavior that gets them?”

 

“Hey!” Grimmjow exclaimed, offended. “Kids love the hair! They think it’s magic.”

 

“So it's the other two?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

Grimmjow pulled out the seat across from Ichigo and sat down.

 

“You don’t talk about your family much.”

 

Ichigo shrugged. “No particular reason. They just don’t come up much.” He eyed Grimmjow curiously, but refrained from asking anything.

 

“Question for question?” Grimmjow proposed.

 

Ichigo looked surprised, but nodded. “You first.”

 

“Ok. How many family members?”

 

“Immediate family or extended?”

 

“Just immediate.”

 

“2 younger sisters-twins, technically. They don’t look alike but were born at the same time. And my Dad. You?”

 

“Mom, Step-Dad-though he was around my whole life- younger sister, and an older Step-Brother and Step-Sister. What happened to your mom?”

 

“Died, when I was little. Car hit her. She...pushed me out of the way.” There was a moment of silence, but Ichigo shook himself slightly and asked, “What about your dad?”

 

“Dunno. Don’t think Mom knows who he is either. She met my Step-Dad while she was pregnant, so like I said, he’s been around my whole life. What’s your Dad like?”

 

“He’s a total idiot, but in a good way. Overprotective, but also went out of his way to make sure we knew how to defend ourselves. And if you ever meet him, don’t tell him I said it was in a good way. Your mom?”

 

“Passionate, outspoken. Not...the best at expressing herself emotionally, but she cares. If you met her and my step-dad separately, you’d never think they’d get along. Opposites attract, I guess. Lord knows how they’re doing now, though.”

 

“Have...you contacted them?” Ichigo asked hesitantly.

 

He was technically breaking the rules, but Grimmjow answered anyway.

 

“Just once, while I was in the hospital. The qu-Doctor Urahara contacted them, passed on that I was safe, but not interested in seeing them again. If they sent a response, he knew better than to give it to me.” Ichigo’s expression was veering dangerously close to pity, and Grimmjow stretched and yawned. “Now, I believe I’m owed two questions?”

 

“Oh, uh, yeah. Sorry.”

 

Grimmjow smirked and dismissed the matter with a wave of his hand. “Why did you leave home?”

 

“More to prove that I could, than anything. My Dad was really on me about going to college, but I didn’t want to be a doctor and there was nothing else I wanted to study for. I said I could get by just fine without a degree. It’s been 2 years since then.”

 

“You are so not ‘just fine’.”

 

“No,” Ichigo agreed morosely. “But I am getting by.”

 

“True enough. Now, how about...How did you meet Rukia?”

 

Ichigo smiled at that. “She crashed through the window of my bedroom in the dead of night. And I was on the second story of our house.”

 

“Now this is a story I’ve gotta hear.”

 

“She was jealous of her brother going skydiving without her, and then an idiot named Renji had this idea involving a kite…”

* * *

 

**  
October 5th, 2014**

 

“I just can’t believe you _survived_ that, let alone barely get scratched.”

 

“Would you shut up already!” Rukia was beet-red, but kept her voice down, looking around for customers. “I was fine! And besides, Ichigo’s dad runs a medical clinic.”

 

“Can picture you explaining that one to your brother,” Grimmjow was also keeping his voice down, but had a sadistic grin on his face, enjoying himself. “‘You see, it’s ok that I almost died, because I was in a clinic! So even if I had gravely injured myself, they would’ve patched me up right away!’”

 

Rukia socked him in the arm and looked away, face still red. “What do you know about my brother?”

 

“What Ichigo told me.”

 

“So literally nothing positive?”

 

“I don't think he was as negative as you're imagining.”

 

“Well, he always is around me,” Rukia said. “Though I suppose it's not fair to just blame Ichigo for that. The two of them always butted heads over everything.”

 

Grimmjow followed her as she talked, curious. “But that was back in Karakura, wasn't it? How did you end up here in Seireitei?”

 

“I spent my childhood split between the two towns, actually. My parents passed away when I was really young, so Byakuya looked after me. He had to travel between the two cities for work to keep his job, and didn't want to just leave me with a babysitter all the time. When I was old enough to live on my own- well, I knew more people here. I lived with Rangiku for a while-”

 

“Oof.”

 

“You’re an ass. She’s not that bad. Anyway, Rangiku let me stay with her and helped me find a job, then I moved out as soon as I could.” Rukia very carefully folded a shirt and returned it to the display. “Then when I was totally broke because I tried to pay for an apartment while working part-time at a department store, I moved in with Renji.”

 

“The kite guy?”

 

Rukia sighed. “Yes. He worked for my brother for a while, now he works at an auto shop. It pays better than here, so we can live in the nicer parts of town.”

 

“Wait, so, you still live together?” Grimmjow asked.

 

“Huh? Yeah, why?”

 

Grimmjow narrowed his eyes. “So you’re dating?”

 

“N-no, we’re not!” Rukia’s blush was predictable, but she would blush whether he was on the right track or not.

 

“Does he have a girlfriend?”

 

“No!”

 

“Then is he gay? ‘Cuz if he’s not gay you’re a monster.”

 

“I am not! And I don’t-I don’t think he is. We never really talked about it.”

 

“That poor man.”

 

“Stop it already! I have a boyfriend!”

 

Grimmjow blinked.

 

“You-”

 

“Hey!” They both started as a man walked over to them, glaring. “This guy bothering you?”

 

“Oh!” Rukia flushed a deep scarlet. “No! No I’m sorry, we’re talking about something else.”

 

Grimmjow felt himself flush as well. “I can see why you thought that though. Kinda forgot where we were.”

 

“Well...ok.” The man said slowly.

 

“Thank you for your concern,” Rukia said, regaining her composure. The man smiled at her, glared at Grimmjow, and walked off.

 

“Oops.” Grimmjow said, staring after him.

 

“Don’t ‘oops’ me!”

 

“Don’t yell at me, or someone else is gonna come over.”

 

Rukia growled at him, and went back to the display. Grimmjow stepped up next to her. “But seriously, a boyfriend?”

 

She sighed. “Yes. He travels a lot, so I only get to see him when he’s in town. I’m actually hoping to get a job working with him, but it’s a slow process.”

 

“How come you’ve never mentioned him?”

 

Rukia looked around them, apparently checking to see if anyone was within earshot. “Because...of Ichigo. I was worried that if I said anything, you’d say something to him.”

 

“What, Ichigo doesn’t like him?”

 

“No, it’s not that…” She looked around again. “Kaien is...his cousin.”

 

Grimmjow’s eyebrows seemed to shoot up of their own accord. “Oh.”

 

“It gets worse,” Rukia said, beckoning him to follow her out of sight, before digging her phone out of her pocket. After a minute, she held it out to him. “This is a picture of him.”

 

Grimmjow took the phone from her and examined it.

 

“...what the _fuck_?”

 

“I _know!!_ I know, I know, I know, it’s so _bad_!” Rukia pressed her hands to her face, beet red. “I’m sure Ichigo would say he was fine with it if I asked, but they look so similar it’s just so weird!”

 

Grimmjow felt transfixed by the picture of Ichigo’s slightly older, black-haired clone. “How does that even work? It looks like Ichigo went through a super cheerful goth phase.”

 

A laugh escaped Rukia as she took her phone back. “I mean, they _are_ related, so it’s not as crazy as it could be but...it is pretty bad.”

 

Grimmjow shook his head. “I won’t say a word, I promise. That is a mess that is impossible to clean up, however fun it might be.”

 

They stood in silence for a minute.

 

“But you’re still gonna make fun of me for it, aren’t yo-”

 

“This means you think Ichigo’s hot, right?”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I haven’t decided what to do with Renji yet, but I figure even if he winds up being straight, he’d be fine with just being Rukia’s friend. He’s a good guy
> 
> And as for Kaien, I’ve always thought he’s a fun character, and this seemed like the best way to introduce him into the story. I mean, it’s made pretty clear, at least in manga translations, that Rukia did straight up love him, so pairing them isn’t too weird.
> 
> Kaien’s wife? Who’s that? He doesn’t have a wife. You’re crazy. (She doesn’t exist in this fic. Rukia is not being cheated on, or anything along those lines.)
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	8. Chapter 7: Everything Goes Wrong

**October 10th, 2014**

 

The first thing Grimmjow noticed when he walked into the apartment was the broken glass sitting on the end table. He felt a seconds pang of fear, before he saw Ichigo sitting at the table, head resting on his arms. He didn’t look up as Grimmjow shed his jacket and walked over, nervous to learn as to what might have elicited such a reaction.

 

“Ichigo?” Grimmjow asked softly.

 

The man didn’t respond at first, for just long enough to make Grimmjow think he might be asleep, before his friends muffled voice reached him.

 

“They fired me.”

 

Grimmjow blinked, taking a second to understand. “The restaurant? Why?”

 

“Because they’re assholes,” Ichigo growled, raising his head to look at Grimmjow. “Because some jerk came in to make trouble, and he made trouble with me, and I was...I was  _ tired _ , and I’d already been there for so long, and-I knew better, but I couldn’t help myself.”

 

“And they fired you? Just like that?” Grimmjow pulled out a chair and sat down, trying to ignore the faint redness around Ichigo’s eyes.

 

“They knew I was on my way out,” Ichigo said, glaring at the table. “They didn’t think it was worth the headache to keep me if I was going to leave in a few weeks anyway. Why honor all the hard work and time I’ve given them?” His voice was shaking. “And then I come back to a rejection letter from the only job I’ve even applied to.”

 

Grimmjow glanced at the table, and saw what looked to be roughly half a page of the mentioned letter, bearing part of the logo of the daycare center.

 

“That bad?” Grimmjow asked apprehensively. 

 

“No.” Ichigo’s voice was hoarse. Grimmjow had never seen him look so miserable. “They were very polite. And also not interested.” He shook his head. “I shouldn’t have bothered. I don’t have any relevant experience.”

 

“Don’t say that,” Grimmjow said encouragingly. “Of course you should’ve! Sure, experience helps, but you had a chance. You owe it to yourself to try. You should get a job you actually  _ like _ .”

 

“Grimmjow!” Ichigo said, voice rising in pitch. “I don't have any savings! I spent it all!” He didn’t say it, but the fact that he’d spent it all  _ on Grimmjow _ hung heavy in the air between them.

 

“We’ll make it work,” Grimmjow urged, reaching out and placing a hand on Ichigo’s shoulder. “I can pick up more hours to cover us until you get another job. You did it with me, it's only fair I return the favor.”

 

Ichigo looked unconvinced. “There’s no guarantee you  _ can _ , you know. Hours aren’t always available.”

 

“It’ll be tight, but this is a single person apartment. We can manage.”

 

Ichigo bit his lip, looking down at the table. “I don’t even know where to start. When I moved, I just applied to Squad Eleven on a whim.” He snorted. “Clearly, the reasons they hired me were the same reasons I shouldn’t have applied, but I made it work. I haven’t looked since.”

 

“Maybe the hospital?” Grimmjow suggested. Ichigo looked up at him, a little confused. “Obviously you couldn’t be a nurse or anything, but they’ve gotta have some smaller work you could do. I’m sure you don’t like the idea of asking Urahara for help, but it would just be to tide us over until you found something better.”

 

He could see Ichigo was considering the idea, and decided that was enough of a victory for the night, given the circumstances. 

 

“You should get some rest,” Grimmjow said. The emotional toll had probably left Ichigo feeling as drained as if he’d run a marathon, and he’d also worked for part of the day. “I can clean up.”

 

Ichigo looked like he wanted to argue, but they both knew that if it came to a battle of stubborness, they were evenly matched, and Grimmjow had more energy left. Without another word, he got up from the table and went to the bedroom.

 

Grimmjow watched him go, feeling a pang of sympathy, and also an uncomfortable sensation of guilt. For all the empathy he had toward his friend and benefactor, Grimmjow couldn't bring himself to be upset that Ichigo had lost his job. The place had made him miserable, and Grimmjow couldn't deny to himself that he  _ liked _ the idea of them switching roles, even just for a little while. It would be his turn to work and help them make ends meet, to finally support Ichigo while the orange-haired man was free to pursue a place he could be happier.

 

It would be rough for a while, and he knew there was no way to prevent Ichigo from blaming himself for their situation-that was the kind of man he was. But Grimmjow truly felt that in the end, things would work out for the better.

 

* * *

 

**October 11th, 2014**

 

Grimmjow stared at the black smoke billowing out of the top of the mall in utter disbelief.

 

“You have got to be fucking kidding me,” he whispered.

 

“Everyone got out of the building safely,” Rukia said from beside him. “The fire safety system was busted, I guess, but the alarm worked. Still, everything inside is a total loss. What isn't burned will be ruined by the smoke and heat.”

 

Grimmjow made a small, pained noise in response. 

 

Rukia’s tone and manner were grim, but he knew she didn't have nearly as much to worry about.  _ Her _ roommate still had a job, and even if that fell through, she had multiple people she could fall back on. Ichigo would hate having to go home and ask his father for help, and there was no reason to think Grimmjow would be welcome to come along.

 

“We’ll get our last paycheck, but that's it. And it's gonna be hard to find a job when you consider just about everyone that worked here will be looking too.” She glanced up at him. “Grim? I know its bad, but you seem-”

 

“I think I believe in God.”

 

“What?”

 

“And I think God hates me.”

 

“Ok,  _ what _ ?”

 

He turned to look at her. “Ichigo got fired last night.”

 

She stared at him for a moment, apparently. “Oh...wow, that's...that really...and the mall caught fire the next day?”

 

Grimmjow felt an irrational anger boil up inside of him. “ _ Yes _ , Rukia, it seems it fucking did!”

 

“Don't yell at me!”

 

“Well I've got to yell at  _ something _ . This is so  _ dumb _ !”

 

After a moment, they both broke and started to laugh.

 

“That is one way to frame the loss of a couple hundred jobs and tens of thousands of dollar worth of damage,” Rukia agreed. “Dumb. Very, very dumb.”

 

“Tens of thousands seems like a low estimate.” Grimmjow said, frowning. Rukia shrugged.

 

“I have no idea what it actually is. I don't care that much either.” She shook her head. “But seriously, what are you guys going to do? Ichigo would hate going back home.”

 

“You think  _ he _ would?” He sighed. “That Urahara guy owns part of the complex we’re staying at. He can probably cut us some slack, but not enough to get us out of paying entirely.”

 

“And you couldn't count on him if you moved out…” Rukia trailed off, thinking. After a moment, she asked “ _ Have _ you thought about moving out?”

 

“His lease isn't up until the end of the year. It just wasn't a concern.”

 

“I wonder…”

 

“ _ What _ do you wonder?” Grimmjow asked.

 

“Well…”

 

_ “Rukia.” _

 

“If you can get Urahara to let you out of the lease early, I might be able to...do something.”

 

“Would you care to be more specific?” 

 

In response, Rukia shook her head, and Grimmjow noticed her face had gone red.

 

“I do not care to. Not until I know. Ichigo won't like it, but he'd dislike it less than going to his father…I'm sure he would…”

 

“Rukia you're making me nervous.” Grimmjow said.

 

“Just-just go back to the apartment, tell Ichigo what happened, call Urahara, and then go job-hunting. I'll call you if anything comes up here, or with...other things.”

 

“Very ominous. Very concerning.”

 

“Ever heard a saying about gift horses and their mouths?”

 

“I don't even know if you're offering a horse though. It could be some kind of monster. Or some kind of monster horse.”

 

“Well assume that the monster horse has a mouth, and you shouldn't look at it.” Rukia said, with a note of finality. 

 

“...what?”

 

“Shut up and go away already!”

 

* * *

 

“You've got to be fucking kidding me.”

 

“I know, right!?” Grimmjow said, shaking his head as Ichigo put his head in hands. “And now Rukia’s cooking up some crazy scheme and won't tell us anything.”

 

“What does she want us to do?” Ichigo asked, looking up at him.

 

“See if the Quack will let us out of the lease early. Or, well, let you out early.”

 

“You have got to stop calling him that.”

 

“It's the principal of the thing Ichi.” Grimmjow grinned at him.

 

“Never call me that again.”

 

“I promise nothing”

 

Ichigo rolled his eyes.

 

“She obviously has somewhere in mind for us to go,” he said, not pursuing the topic of nicknames any further.

 

“And someone in mind to give us that place,” Grimmjow agreed. “Someone she doesn't think you'll be happy with.”

 

“Which means it's probably her brother.” Ichigo sighed. “We don't exactly get along.”

 

“I've heard,” Grimmjow said. “Are you sure you'd be ok with that?”

 

Ichigo shrugged. “Little difference between that or going home.”

 

“Maybe, but it could be a big difference to you.” 

 

“It's not just me though, is it?” Grimmjow stared at him, and after a moment, Ichigo seemed to realize what he'd said, looking away from his blue-haired friend and blushing.”

 

“Ichigo...you-”

 

“I'm not going to toss you back out in the street. Last time I did that, you got stabbed.”

 

“Ok one, I got out of the car on my own, you didn't  _ toss _ me anywhere. And two, I'd hardly be forced to live on the streets.”

 

Ichigo gave him a sympathetic look. “I get it, Grim, I do.” When Ichigo called him Grim, it didn't bother him like when Rukia said it. “You don't want to rely on others. But none of us are going to force you onto the streets and we're  _ certainly _ not going to send you back home. The way things are right now, you'll have to lean on someone, and that's  _ normal _ . It's  _ ok _ . Things like this happen to everyone at some point and that's what friends are for.” He shook his head, laughing slightly. “I don't want Byakuya’s charity, but I don't want to throw in the towel and go home either. You being here is just giving me the push to swallow my pride rather than throw it away completely.”

 

Grimmjow couldn't speak around the lump on his throat. Ichigo seemed to understand, getting up from the table and walking over to the counter where he’d left his phone.

 

“I'll call Urahara, see if we can work something out. Then we can go tour the town and pick up job apps.”

 

Grimmjow nodded jerkily, getting up as well, stepping outside without explanation. Ichigo watched him go, smiling slightly. He'd had good friends all his life, but he'd been getting the impression over the past few weeks that Grimmjow hadn't.

 

_ I suppose every cloud has a silver lining. _

 

* * *

 

They walked together down the sidewalk, Grimmjow with a folder tucked under one arm, filled with the papers they had collected over the past hour.

 

Ichigo took the phone away from his ear, hanging up.

 

“He finally get back to you?” Grimmjow asked.

 

“Yep.”

 

“What'd he say?”

 

“Well, he was unnecessarily vague and cryptic-”

 

“Naturally.”

 

“-but I think he’s planning to pay our fees so they're on time, and then just have us pay him when we can. He can open up the lease to new occupants in the meantime.”

 

“Where does he get all of his money?”

 

“I have no idea.” Ichigo shook his head. “But it's one problem solved.”

 

“Only all of the rest of them to go.”

 

“Way to maintain a positive attitude Grimmjow.”

 

The blue haired man scowled at him. “I’m using all of my remaining positive energy for greeting these people to ask for applications. I don’t have any to spare.”

 

Ichigo’s phone buzzed again, and they slowed down as he looked at it.

 

“Rukia,” Ichigo said grimly, and they stepped off to the side as he opened the message, Grimmjow leaning down to look at the phone over Ichigo’s shoulder.

 

_ R:Well, he agreed. We’ll all have to share but it's a big place. Probably have more room than you do now. _

 

“That's oddly vague,” Grimmjow commented, frowning.

 

“Maybe she thinks I haven’t figured out who it is?” Ichigo shrugged, before raising the phone to message her back.

 

_ I:We’ll head back and start packing then. Address? _

 

She sent him the address to an upscale apartment complex, and then she sent a follow-up.

 

_ R:Just...be nice, ok? To both of us. _

 

Grimmjow frowned as Ichigo rolled his eyes. 

 

“Does she really think I’ll get mad at her?” Ichigo asked, shaking his head.

 

“Er…” Ichigo glanced at Grimmjow curiously.

 

“What?”

 

“Nothing, nothing. Just, uh, curious about the address. That's a nice part of town, isn’t it?”

 

Ichigo gave him a suspicious look, but nodded. “Yeah, but that's the kind of thing Byakuya would do. Help us out while also flaunting his wealth in our face.”

 

“Hows that positive attitude working in that glass house of yours?”

 

“Oh, shut up.”

 

He texted Rukia a swift reply, before turning in the direction they’d parked. “Come on, let's go.”

 

Grimmjow smiled, pushing the feeling of unease he had about tomorrow down, turning to follow Ichigo.

 

They would be fine. 

**Author's Note:**

> I don't own Bleach or the characters, and this is cross-posted on my FF.net account under the same story and author name.


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